You can’t go one day without hearing it. “Player A is only performing at that level because he gets such a good whistle from the referees”. Even this past weekend, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards took a subtle jab at Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander by stating that you “can’t touch him at any time during the game” without it being called a foul, calling out the favorable whistle that Gilgeous-Alexander has been getting during his 2023-24 All-NBA campaign.
With Edwards’ claims, we decided to take it upon ourselves to investigate and look into the players who have received the best whistle from the referees this season so far. The usual foul-baiting suspects and some surprising additions you might not have expected are also on there. They make our list due to the number of free throw attempts per game, free throws in total, and their ability to manipulate their way to the foul line almost on demand.
1. Joel Embiid
Free Throw Stats: 10.8 FTM-12.2 FTA (88.7%)
Joel Embiid is easily the worst culprit when it comes to seeking out egregious foul calls and being rewarded for it more often than not. Just five minutes into any Philadelphia 76ers game will give you a basic understanding of his approach to the game along with frustration due to the amount of times Embiid hits the floor for no apparent reason at all.
As it stands in 2023-24 so far, Embiid is third in the NBA with 391 total attempts in 32 games played. What makes that even more mind-boggling is the fact that Embiid has missed 10 games due to injury as well. His 12.2 free throw attempts per game lead the NBA this season and the 76ers are just one of five teams to be awarded more than 1,100 total attempts so far this season.
Now, we know why Embiid wants to get to the line so often as an 88.7% shooter from the charity stripe. However, it’s more than a little disappointing to see such a dominant force in today’s game depend so much on baiting the referees into foul calls.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Free Throw Stats: 7.5 FTM-11.3 FTA (66.9%)
The only player with a whistle even close to as favorable as Joel Embiid’s is Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis’ downhill and physical style of play certainly causes a ton of contact from defenders, and there is no denying that. Even with his physicality on the offensive side of the ball, the amount of times he has been sent to the line is getting out of hand.
In 2023-24, Antetokounmpo has attempted a total of 471 free throws which is more than any other player in the NBA by 80 attempts. His 11.5 attempts per game ranks second in the NBA, trailing only Joel Embiid’s 12.2. Embiid and Antetokounmpo are the only two players in the NBA receiving more than 10.0 free throw attempts per game this season as well.
Now, Giannis would likely not mind if the whistle was a little less favorable considering his lowly 66.9% shooting percentage from the foul line. As long as his game depends on his strength and barreling through the paint, it is likely his whistle will get worse before it gets better.
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Free Throw Stats: 8.1 FTM-9.1 FTA (89.0%)
In many ways, Anthony Edwards was right in calling out the referees and their handling of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the court. A lot of it has to do with Gilgeous-Alexander’s shiftiness and crafty footwork once he gets past a certain level of the defense. There is a lot to be said about how he has seen how referees are calling the game on him as well, prompting unnecessary movement into the defenders, knowing the call is coming in his favor more often than not.
In 2023-24, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is currently attempting 9.1 free throws per game, which is the third-most in the NBA. He is one of six players attempting more than 8.0 free throws per game and has 392 total free throws on the season. That is just three attempts per game fewer than a 7’0’’ center drawing contact on almost every play.
A lot can be said about Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to get to the second and third level which if you prevent that, you probably cut down the amount of times he gets sent to the line. But, is Shail Gilgeous-Alexander seeing a more favorable whistle due to his ascent to stardom over the last two seasons? Maybe, but it was even worse last season when they sent him to the line 10.9 times per game.
4. Trae Young
Free Throw Stats: 7.0 FTM-8.2 FTA (85.8%)
There may not be another point guard in all of basketball who is equally exciting and frustrating to watch play than Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks. Young has captivated audiences with his incredible range from long distances and his ability to get all four of his teammates involved on the court. He also has put a target on his back from fans due to his egregious attempts to get to the foul line, especially when he finds himself getting deeper into the paint and going for his patented floater.
Young currently ranks sixth in the NBA with 318 total free throw attempts. He also ranks fifth in the NBA in attempts per game with 8.2. As a player whose entire game starts from the perimeter, it is incredibly frustrating to watch Young seek out fouls when his talent and play do not call for it most of the time. Young’s play may take him into the paint more often than he would like but seeing a foul called nearly every time for contact mostly initiated by him is the annoying part.
What makes it more incredible is that 2023-24 is one of Young’s lowest seasons in terms of free throw attempts per game. In 2020 and 2021, he averaged more than 8.6 attempts per game, and in 2022-23, he averaged 8.8 per game as well. Even with his numbers being down, he is still one of the most rewarded players in the game, meaning the whistle has been more than favorable to him for some time now.
5. Luka Doncic
Free Throw Stats: 6.8 FTM-8.9 FTA (76.9%)
If Luka Doncic had his way, he would be sent to the free-throw line every single time he attempted a shot. Doncic has made a habit of drawing contact every time he gets to the rim, whether on a pass or shot and annoyingly looking and shouting at the ref for a call whether the possession ended well for his Mavericks team or not.
Seriously, there isn’t a more skin-crawling tradition in sports right now than the way Luka Doncic complains to the referees. The officials must have gotten tired of hearing it as well because Doncic has been rewarded handsomely for it with a “superstar” whistle in 2023-24. His 8.9 attempts per game from the foul line rank fourth in the NBA this season while his 329 total attempts rank fifth.
As a true Luka Doncic fan, his blatant seeking out fouls and complaining when things don’t go his way are the only gripes I have with his game. Maybe if he was rewarded for it less, it would tone down.
6. Damian Lillard
Free Throw Stats: 7.5 FTM-8.1 FTA (92.2%)
In his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks after 11 years with Portland, one thing that hasn’t changed about Damian Lillard is his ability to get to the free-throw line. In his first season with Milwaukee, Lillard is seeing more free throw attempts than at any other point in his career other than the 2022-23 season.
Lillard’s whistle has been more than favorable this year as the 92.2% free throw shooter is getting to the line 8.1 times per game. He is one of just six players being sent to the line that many times a game which includes teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo. Most of these come on his rare drives to the rim that almost seems like he is searching for the call rather than trying to finish a play.
His 332 total attempts from the foul line rank fourth in the NBA this season and Lillard has inherited the skills passed down to him by Giannis in getting the refs to make the calls in his favor.
7. Kevin Durant
Free Throw Stats: 6.1 FTM-7.0 FTA (87.3%)
Kevin Durant has been receiving a favorable whistle from NBA officials for years but the last three seasons have been particularly noticeable. The most outrageous way he does this is his famous sweep-through on mid-range jumpers that look like he is getting ready for a shot but is just an exaggerated shooting form that rewards the shooter for the contact he initiated.
This has been Durant’s M.O. ever since he became more of a mid-range and three-point shooter than a three-level scorer. In 2023-24, Durant is attempting 7.0 shots from the foul line per game for the third season in a row after going six seasons well below the 7.0 mark. Durant currently ranks 10th in the NBA in free throw attempts per game with 7.0 and is one of 12 players being awarded 7.0 or more attempts per game.
8. Devin Booker
Free Throw Stats: 6.1 FTM-6.9 FTA (88.1%)
If Kevin Durant makes this list, then Devin Booker needs to be right beside him. Booker’s flair for the dramatic and manipulating his way to the foul line is on full display more than ever, especially with his playing more point guard than ever before in his career. With his change of position, Booker has become even more of a foul-baiter on the court, seeing a superstar whistle more often than not.
A light breeze could end up sending Booker to the foul line in 2023-24 depending on how much he sells it to the ref. Even a slight touch of the elbow and there goes his entire body flailing in every direction. The 6.9 attempts from the foul line per game is the first time since 2020 that Booker has seen this much time from the charity stripe.
The only reason Booker has been to the foul line less than teammate Kevin Durant is time missed due to injury this season. Give it a month and things should even out at this rate.
9. Anthony Davis
Free Throw Stats: 5.7 FTM-7.0 FTA (81.5%)
The only player more frustrating to watch play on offense this season than Joel Embiid has been Anthony Davis. It has been this way for Davis since arriving in 2020 with the Lakers. What makes his play so captivating yet makes you want to pull your hair out is watching him be dominant and unstoppable for a stretch before he hits the ground for no reason, risking injury, and seeking favorable calls from the officials.
Davis’ manipulation of the defense has led to 7.0 free throw attempts per game and 303 total attempts this season. Nobody is saying contact isn’t made with Davis when he makes his way into the paint. Contact that makes getting the attention of the referee a priority? Absolutely not. Davis isn’t fully to blame. The Lakers are known to have a collective favorable whistle from the NBA since leading the league in foul calls in 2022-23 with over 2,100 free throw attempts.
I just miss the days when bigs were bigs and didn’t have something to say to the refs after every non-call.
10. Julius Randle
Free Throw Stats: 5.2 FTM-6.7 FTA (77.1%)
I remember when the offensive player used to be called 99 times out of 100 for barreling through the lane with no real control of what was going on. When watching Julius Randle of the Knicks play, it is like that rule doesn’t apply and he can be as out of control as he wishes while being sent to the line as a reward.
I don’t want to rain on Randle’s parade. He is heading toward All-Star status this season once again but his blatant looks for contact on nearly every drive to the rim needs to be called out. It isn’t just the way he seeks out contacts but the methods used that make it so outrageous. If Randle isn’t initiating contact with his first step, he is flailing his off arm out to the nearest defender looking for a call.
If you don’t believe me, just watch. There is a reason he is seeing the foul line as the second-highest rate of his career and why he ranks 10 with 296 total free throw attempts this season.
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